Category Archives: local government

Will Chicago’s “disappeared” have justice?

Posted on May 1, 2014 by lawrence serewicz

“Behold, I cry, ‘Violence!’ but I get no answer; I shout for help, but there is no justice. Job 19:7 The Chicago Police Department, in its war on crime, has declared some murders as non-criminal deaths. They have done this, according … Continue reading →

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Street justice through social media: the new bureaucratic accountability

Posted on July 10, 2013 by lawrence serewicz

The customer service angle to social media complaints are well known. People use Twitter, Facebook and other social media to complain about customer service. They don’t like the product or service so they complain publicly to get somethign done. The process is … Continue reading →

Posted in Government, local government, public sector, transparency, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

The death of Daniel Morgan and the (im)possibility of Justice

Posted on October 31, 2012 by lawrence serewicz

A man who really fights for justice must lead a private, not a public, life if he is to survive for even a short time.” —Socrates, in Plato’s Apology, 31d–32a Daniel Morgan died with an axe in his face.  We … Continue reading →

Posted in Government, local government, philosophy, public sector, statesmanship, transparency | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

No time for history? Take a video tour of a County Record Office

Posted on October 18, 2012 by lawrence serewicz

  In a previous blog, on Jimmy Savile and the Shaw report  I mentioned the need to visit the County Record Office to know how our collective memory was stored.  For many people, this may prove difficult because of the … Continue reading →

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Open data creates inefficient government and why this is good

Posted on August 20, 2012 by lawrence serewicz

The promise that open data will improve government efficiency is misplaced.  Every administration claims it will make government effective and efficient.  We had Clinton’s Reinventing Government and Bush’s reforms after 11 September.  Neither has delivered as it promised. In large … Continue reading →

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Have hypertext and hyperlink been over-hyped? The view from local government.

Posted on August 11, 2012 by lawrence serewicz

    Since the dawn of the social media age, we have been treated to various claims that hypertext and hyperlinks will change the way we work, read, and write.  There were even claims that hyperlinks will subvert hierarchies.  Yet, … Continue reading →

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Who speaks for a political organisation in the age of social media?

Posted on June 12, 2012 by lawrence serewicz

Today the LGiU published a briefing on the two-year study by the Young Foundation (funded by DCLG) called Local 2.0.  The report is well worth a read because it shows what is being done on the ground with social media.  … Continue reading →

Posted in censorship, Government, local government, opportunity cost, transparency | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Why did I start blogging? Reflections after my 50th blog posts.

Posted on June 4, 2012 by lawrence serewicz

I finally made it to 50.  When I started blogging, I decided that once I reached 50 posts I would decide whether to continue or stop. Either I would not make it, through boredom, fear,  too much hard work or … Continue reading →

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Will the Big Blue Button come to the UK? A records management revolution too far?

Posted on May 24, 2012 by lawrence serewicz

The Department of Health has published its “The Power of Information: Putting all of us in control of the health and care information we need”.  The document sets out how it will use information to fulfil its obligations found in … Continue reading →

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Will the reform of FOIA create empty archives: The myth, the threat, or the reality?

Posted on April 17, 2012 by lawrence serewicz

In the recent discussions around the future of FOIA, there have been important actors missing: records management and archives. Their absence creates three problems.  Two are understandable and relatively minor. The third is the most subtle and the most dangerous … Continue reading →

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